An unmanned flying object includes a battery remaining quantity acquirer that acquires a remaining quantity of a battery; an arrival decider that, when the unmanned flying object starts traveling from a first point at which the unmanned flying object is currently located to a second point through which the unmanned flying object passes next to the first point, decides whether the unmanned flying object can arrive at the second point, on the basis of an end time of a time zone in which the unmanned flying object is permitted to fly and the remaining quantity of the battery; and a flight controller that, if it is decided that the unmanned flying object can arrive at the second point, causes the unmanned flying object to depart for the second point.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An autonomous unmanned flying object, comprising: a controller on the autonomous unmanned flying object and that controls the autonomous unmanned flying object to fly autonomously; a memory that stores a time at which sunset occurs, before which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly and after which the autonomous unmanned flying object is prevented from flying, and a time at which the next sunrise occurs after which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly; and a battery that supplies the autonomous unmanned flying object with electric power, wherein the controller performs operations including: acquiring a remaining quantity of the battery; when the autonomous unmanned flying object starts traveling from a first point at which the autonomous unmanned flying object is currently located to a second point determining whether the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point no later than sunset time, based on the time of sunset and the remaining quantity of the battery, the first point and the second point, being included in a plurality of points previously determined as candidates for way points; when the controller determines that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point no later than sunset, the controller causes the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart for the second point, when the controller determines that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point after sunset, the controller prevents the autonomous unmanned flying object from flying to the second point until the time of the next sunrise, after which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly, and when the controller determines that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point after sunset, the controller causes the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart at the time of the next sunrise after which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly.
2. The autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein a charging device that charges the battery is disposed at the first point, and wherein the operations further include: calculating a travel possible distance by which the autonomous unmanned flying object can travel from the first point, on the basis of the remaining quantity of the battery; and when it is decided that the travel possible distance is not equal to or larger than a travel distance between the first point and the second point, causing the charging device to start charging the battery.
3. The autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 2 , wherein the operations further include: acquiring the remaining quantity of the battery while the autonomous unmanned flying object is connected to the charging device; calculating a travel possible distance by which the autonomous unmanned flying object can travel from the first point, on the basis of the remaining quantity of the battery acquired while the autonomous unmanned flying object is connected to the charging device; and when it is decided that the calculated travel possible distance is equal to or larger than the travel distance, deciding whether a calculated expected arrival time is after the sunset.
4. The autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , further comprising: a storage that stores charge availability information indicative of whether a charging device is present at each of the plurality of points, wherein the operations further include: calculating a travel possible distance by which the autonomous unmanned flying object can travel from the first point, on the basis of the remaining quantity of the battery; when it is decided that the travel possible distance is not a travel distance between the first point and the second point, referencing the charge availability information, and deciding whether the charging device is present at the first point; and when it is decided that the charging device is not present at the first point, referencing the charge availability information, specifying a point which is within a range of the travel possible distance, which is within a predetermined range from the first point, and at which the charging device is present, and causing the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart for the specified point.
5. The autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further include: when it is decided that the autonomous unmanned flying object cannot arrive at the second point, determining a start time in which the autonomous unmanned flying object is permitted to fly, as an expected departure time at which the autonomous unmanned flying object is caused to depart for the second point.
6. The autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 5 , wherein the autonomous unmanned flying object includes a plurality of unmanned flying objects, wherein the plurality of autonomous unmanned flying objects is present at the first point, and wherein the plurality of autonomous unmanned flying objects has respective different expected departure times.
7. The autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further include: when it is decided that the autonomous unmanned flying object cannot arrive at the second point, notifying a management terminal that is used by a manager who manages the autonomous unmanned flying object, about that the autonomous unmanned flying object is caused to wait at the first point.
8. The unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein the operations further include: when it is decided that the autonomous unmanned flying object cannot arrive at the second point, determining a point at which the autonomous unmanned flying object can arrive by sunset, which is within a predetermined range from the second point, and which is the closest to the second point, as a third point through which the autonomous unmanned flying object newly passes; and causing the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart for the determined third point.
9. The autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , further comprising: a position measurer that acquires a current position of the autonomous unmanned flying object, wherein the operations further include: deciding whether the autonomous unmanned flying object can arrive at the second point during flight from the first point to the second point, on the basis of the current position acquired by the position measurer, the time of sunset before which the autonomous unmanned flying object is permitted to fly, and the remaining quantity of the battery; and when it is decided that the autonomous unmanned flying object cannot arrive at the second point, causing the autonomous unmanned flying object to travel to a fourth point at which the autonomous unmanned flying object can arrive by sunset, which is within a predetermined range from the second point, and which is the closest to the second point among the plurality of points.
10. The autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 9 , wherein the operations further include: when it is previously determined that the autonomous unmanned flying object travels to a fifth point among the plurality of points next to the second point, and if the autonomous unmanned flying object lands on the fourth point, deciding whether the second point is a point through which the autonomous unmanned flying object has to pass; when it is decided that the second point is the point through which the autonomous unmanned flying object has to pass, causing the unmanned flying object to depart for the second point from the fourth point; and when it is decided that the second point is a point through which the autonomous unmanned flying object does not have to pass, causing the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart for the fifth point from the fourth point.
11. An autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point later than sunset time, causing the autonomous unmanned flying object to refrain from departing for the second point.
12. An autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein even when it is determined that the remaining quantity of the battery has sufficient power to permit the autonomous unmanned flying object to reach the second point, the autonomous unmanned flying object refrains from departing for the second point when it is determined that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point later than sunset.
13. An autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point before sunset, the controller causing the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart for the second point, and even when it is determined that the remaining quantity of the battery has sufficient power to permit the autonomous unmanned flying object to reach the second point, the controller causes the autonomous unmanned flying object to refrain from departing for the second point when it is determined that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point after sunset and the controller determines a start time, after the next sunrise, for the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart.
14. An autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , wherein when it is determined that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point before sunset, the controller causing the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart for the second point, and even when it is determined that the remaining quantity of the battery has sufficient power to permit the autonomous unmanned flying object to reach the second point, the controller causes the autonomous unmanned flying object to refrain from departing for the second point on the current day and causes the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart for the second point on the next day after sunrise on the next day when it is determined that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point on the current day after sunset.
15. The autonomous unmanned flying object according to claim 1 , when the controller determines that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point after sunset, the controller also selects a candidate point closer to the first point than the second point, determines whether the expected arrival time at the selected candidate point is after sunset, when the expected arrival time at the selected candidate point is before sunset, the controller causes the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart for the selected candidate point, when the expected arrival time at the selected candidate point is after sunset, the controller selects other candidate points for determining whether the expected arrival time of any of the other candidate points is before sunset, and when the controller determines that the expected arrival time of all of the other candidate points is after sunset, the controller causes the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart after the next sunrise after which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly.
16. A method of controlling autonomous flight of an autonomous unmanned flying object, comprising: controlling the autonomous unmanned flying object to fly autonomously, the autonomous unmanned flying object having a memory that stores a time at which sunset occurs, before which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly and after which the autonomous unmanned flying object is prevented from flying, and a time at which the next sunrise occurs after which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly acquiring a remaining quantity of a battery that supplies the autonomous unmanned flying object with electric power; when the autonomous unmanned flying object starts traveling from a first point at which the autonomous unmanned flying object is currently located to a second point, determining whether the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point no later than sunset, based on the time of sunset and the remaining quantity of the battery, the first point and the second point, being included in a plurality of points previously determined as candidates for way points; when it is determined that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point no later than sunset, causing the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart for the second point; when the controller determines that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point after sunset, the controller prevents the autonomous unmanned flying object from flying to the second point until the time of the next sunrise, after which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly, and when the controller determines that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point after sunset, the controller causes the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart after the next sunrise, after which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly.
17. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing a program of controlling autonomous flight of an autonomous unmanned flying object, wherein, when the program is executed by a computer, the program causes the computer to perform operations including: controlling the autonomous unmanned flying object to fly autonomously, the autonomous unmanned flying object having a memory that stores a time at which sunset occurs before which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly and after which the autonomous unmanned flying object is prevented from flying, and a time at which the next sunrise occurs after which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly acquiring a remaining quantity of a battery that supplies the autonomous unmanned flying object with electric power; when the autonomous unmanned flying object starts traveling from a first point at which the autonomous unmanned flying object is currently located to a second point, determining whether the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point no later than sunset, based on the time of sunset and the remaining quantity of the battery, the first point and the second point, being included in a plurality of points previously determined as candidates for way points; when it is determined that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point no later than sunset, causing the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart for the second point, when the controller determines that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point after sunset, the controller prevents the autonomous unmanned flying object from flying to the second point until the time of the next sunrise, after which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly, and when the controller determines that the autonomous unmanned flying object will arrive at the second point after sunset, the controller causes the autonomous unmanned flying object to depart after the next sunrise, after which the autonomous flying object is permitted to fly.
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October 12, 2017
April 13, 2021
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